Who said “Bankruptcy is a sacred state, a condition beyond conditions, as theologians might say,…”?

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John Updike. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"The Bankrupt Man", Hugging the Shore (1983)

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“Bankruptcy is a sacred state, a condition beyond conditions, as theologians might say, and attempts to investigate it are necessarily obscene, like spiritualism. One knows only that he has passed into it and lives beyond us, in a condition not ours.”
Verified"The Bankrupt Man", Hugging the Shore (1983) · evidenceDebt
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "The Bankrupt Man", Hugging the Shore (1983).

APA

Updike, J. (n.d.). Bankruptcy is a sacred state, a condition beyond conditions, as theologians might say, and attempts to investigate it are necessarily obscene, like spiritualism. One knows only that he has passed into it and lives beyond us, in a condition not ours. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/10779-bankruptcy-is-a-sacred-state-a-condition-beyond/

MLA

Updike, John. “Bankruptcy is a sacred state, a condition beyond conditions, as theologians might say, and attempts to investigate it are necessarily obscene, like spiritualism. One knows only that he has passed into it and lives beyond us, in a condition not ours.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/10779-bankruptcy-is-a-sacred-state-a-condition-beyond/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Updike, John. “Bankruptcy is a sacred state, a condition beyond conditions, as theologians might say, and attempts to investigate it are necessarily obscene, like spiritualism. One knows only that he has passed into it and lives beyond us, in a condition not ours.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/10779-bankruptcy-is-a-sacred-state-a-condition-beyond/.